Elena's Choice
by lizzybennett21
Summary: Damon and Elena. Klaus is dead, and soon Damon and Stefan will be as well. Elena has been performing a balancing act between them for too long, and now that they are both predicted to die, a decision has to be made. But by the time she gets there, will it be too late? Based on the Season Three finale, except Elena chooses a different Salvatore boy. Go Delena!


"What?"

Her head was spinning. She wasn't sure if she should be laughing at the irony of the moment, or crying because she knew that after tonight, it would all be over.

"Elena, listen to me. Stefan went back to Mystic Falls but Damon is still with Klaus's body. I can either keep going to Damon, or I can turn around and head back home."

Matt's tired eyes avoided hers; striving not to see the pain and fear that enveloped her. His white knuckles gripped the steering wheel, keeping him grounded.

So this is what it had come to. Not only did she have to choose between them and potentially ruin one or both of her relationships, but this might also be the last time she would ever speak to them. The worn leather seats pinched her bare legs as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. The picture of her and Stefan lit up, their blurry faces comingling with the few drops of saltwater that stained the screen.

"What am I supposed to do? How the hell am I supposed to choose? It's not just Damon and Stefan anymore, Matt; Tyler and Caroline and Bonnie's mom, they're all going to die! How can I be there for all of them?" Elena tried to control the tears that threatened to drown her.

"You can't."

Matt turned towards this girl that he had loved for so long, and told her the last thing she wanted to hear.

"You have to make a choice, Elena. And you better do it quick because you and I both know they don't have much time."

The engine of the idling truck purred softly, awaiting her decision.

If she went back home, she would be able to see all of them, including Stefan. Stefan who respected her, trusted her without question, and loved her with all of his heart. It had always been Stefan. Not just for her but for Katherine as well. It seemed that no matter what he did, everyone always loved Stefan, and Damon was left behind, branded a monster and forgotten. Granted, most of the time he put it upon himself, but regardless he was always willing to do whatever it took to protect the people he loved, including Stefan who turned him into a blood-thirsty immortal being against his will. Damon had done some horrific things in the past, but somehow she was always able to look past it. The Damon she saw was the one that saved Sherriff Forbes even though she betrayed him, and granted Rose peace of mind before she died. This dangerous man challenged her, surprised her, always knew how to make her laugh when no one else could, made her rethink her decisions, and kept her going when all she wanted to do was collapse. How could she not love Damon?

"But, if I choose one of them, I'll lose the other forever. I can't do that."

"You're going to lose them both anyway, Elena. This is your last chance." Matt's words were deafening in the small confines of his truck.

If she went back to Stefan, she knew she would be happy to see him one last time, but that would also mean that Damon would die alone with the knowledge that she chose his brother once again. He would probably die thinking no one loved him. She thought of his impossibly blue eyes boring into hers, understanding without words everything that she felt.

After all that he had done for her, she knew he deserved more. Her heart had made her decision long before her head was aware.

xxxxx

Damon laughed softly at the irony of the situation, his sapphire eyes crinkling in tragic appreciation. It literally took life and death for her to decide between them. But maybe this was for the best. She would run home to the safety and comfort of his little brother, and Damon's life would end here, with only Klaus's cold lifeless body to keep him company. He actually kind of preferred him this way.

He could hear the world passing him by as he waited for death to come. Somewhere outside the storage building a deer was wandering through the woods, quietly breaking twigs under its light hooves.

"Well, Bambi, it looks like you got the better end of this deal. My brother will never again shed another drop of your family's blood. The deer population is now free to flourish without the fear of Dracula: the Animal Planet edition."

He smirked at the thought of his saintly younger brother. Damon was glad he and Stefan could have some sort of closure before it was all over. He had made it clear to Stefan on the phone that he knew who Elena would choose, and he had accepted it. Stefan had enough self-righteous guilt hanging over his head; he didn't need to add, "the reason Damon died alone" to the list.

Damon lay down on the cool tile floor and stared at the harsh fluorescents. What exactly are you supposed to do while you're dying? He had never expected death to be like this. He always imagined a stake would slice through his heart and it would be over. Done. Being infected with a werewolf bite had taught him that death could be horrifying when dragged out slowly; but then again, she was with him that time. The first time she ever kissed him. He closed his eyes and thought of her lips against his, her warm breath granting him a final comfort, the slight saltiness of her tears lingering on his lips.

He decided this was what he was going to do with his final moments. Torture himself with short-lived memories of the girl that would never be his, because deep down it seemed like he was really a masochist. He couldn't help but think what kind of idiot falls in love with his brother's girlfriend, especially when the girl looks exactly like the woman that ripped apart your heart. Damon struggled to keep himself from loving her, but always to no avail. Her kindness, passion, and strength always wormed their way back into his heart. He couldn't keep himself from falling into the depths of her deep, chocolate eyes.

Should he call her? He extracted his phone from his jacket pocket and stared at her name. No. He realized that speaking to him would only serve to torment her; she would have to tell him directly that she chose Stefan over him. That's not really something that he wanted to hear.

Instead, Damon went back to imagining some of his favorite moments with Elena. Cooking with her by his side, his surprise visits to her room, the time at the motel when she finally initiated something between them, without him being on his deathbed. The way her eyes lit up when she saw something redeemable in him, the way her lips moved in perfect harmony with his, his hands exploring her silky hair, his body pressed against hers….

The door unfurled with a harsh bang and reverberated around the empty halls of the storage warehouse, tearing Damon away from his musings. He heard footsteps wandering through the empty halls, shoes beating rhythmically against the ground. He got up and prepared himself for whatever he was about to see, his muscles tensing, ready for any potential fight. For a moment, one painful moment, he allowed himself to imagine Elena walking towards him, ready to take him in his arms and tell him that he was the one she chose. His love would finally be returned, his heart repaired.

The footsteps grew closer, one after another, until finally, their owner rounded the corner and stood about 50 feet away from Damon.

"I should have known," Damon admitted, mostly to himself.

"Hey, buddy. Am I not who you expected?"

Alaric. The dark shadow of his best friend. What a wonderful way to spend his last moments.

**Hey guys, this is my first fanfiction so let me know what you think! I think this story should only have a couple more chapters so we'll see where it goes. Thanks! **


End file.
